Sleep is considered to be a time of growth and rejuvenation for organisms. Teenagers and adults typically sleep between 6-8 hours per night, while children and the elderly often require more sleep and thus spend more time in bed. It is therefore important that the surface that one sleeps on, no matter what one's age, does not pose any risks for any health or physical harm.
One of the many aspects of infant care includes the position in which an infant should sleep. Based on current research, parents are advised to place a sleeping infant in a supine (face-up) position, as opposed to a prone (face-down) position, due to the possible risks involved with prone sleeping. These risks include suffocation, which may occur if air (oxygen) flow to the infant is obstructed. Such an incident is more likely when the infant is positioned in a manner wherein its mouth and nose are in close contact with or are enveloped by a soft mattress or a mattress cover. Similarly, in a prone position, the infant may breathe into a small unventilated space, so that it may inhale exhaled carbon dioxide for an extended period of time, which in a subset of infants can lead to asphyxiation and death.
Although the sleeping infant may be positioned in its crib or bed in a supine position, when the infant is strong enough to turn over by itself, it may change on its own to a prone position. In many cases, an infant may be strong enough to turn from a supine to prone position, but not the reverse. Thus, if an adult does not notice that the infant has turned over, the infant may remain in the prone position for an entire night.
It is therefore important that the surface upon which an infant sleeps is air-permeable to allow the infant to breathe naturally and fully without obstruction, even in a prone position.
The American Academy of Pediatrics [www.aap.org] discloses that a firm mattress is helpful in preventing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and in promoting child development. There have been various attempts by the prior art to overcome to problems associated with sleeping infants; however, they each have drawbacks or difficulties of their own.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,273 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,525 disclose different mattress assemblies for supporting a sleeping infant or child.